The Overturned Bouquet, 1660-1679
Abraham Mignon
Rijksmuseum
 
A kitten's fright from knocking over a flower vase displays Mignon's ability to simulate the look and feel of real-world materials. The translucency of the petals, the kitten's fur, and the vase's embellishment transcend the paint's surface and create the illusion of a window frozen in time.
 
Considering the limited availability of pigments during Mignon's time, he achieved an unmatched vibrancy that is the signature of his work. Fortunately, we are now living in a much more colorful time. Spray cans come in thousands of different colors, and choices are endless. The juxtaposition of Mignon's painting and the Spray Can reminds us to be grateful for our current availability to a rainbow of color.